Does Anyone Show there Chickens Anymore

I though a few of you may enjoy looking at this book. It would amaze you how many people are coming back to chickens because they had them when they where in their junior years of life. If you were a kid and went to fairs or chicken shows or even competed in the showmanship contest of different age groups you had so much fun you miss it.

One year in the 1960s our local team won the state championship Poultry Judging contest in Washington that was so much fun and towin and get up in front of all those people at the big dinner we had waa a trill of a lifetime. So when time allows you to get a place in the country you want chickens. a garden some horses or cattle or what ever. There is more to just having chickens than having a pen of Cherry Eggers in your yard. I enjoy the different breeds, color and their traits as well. Hope more will read this tread and if they showed chickens as kids will tell us of their experiences.
 
It seems that hardy no one shows there chickens anymore. Why is this? Is it becasue the chickens are so hard to come by to get to show or people are affraid to show because the dont want to get beat.??
Well, then I guess I'm no one....

Perhaps you should go to a poultry show. There you would see people who show their birds.
 
I think a lot of people can't have chickens because of where they live. Where I live it is a luxury to have land and live in the country. It is expensive to start having chickens................buying a coop, etc...........Not everybody is handy and can build one.

If you can't find the kind of chickens you want buy some eggs and hatch them yourself. That is what I have been doing. I don't buy from a hatchery............poor quality..............poor dispositions..............etc.

I am sure some people are scared to lose at a competition. The reason I am not showing yet is because my flock is not where I want them to be to show. I plan on starting in 2013. The main reason I am dragging my feet about showing is diseases, vaccinating, etc.
 
If you can't find the kind of chickens you want buy some eggs and hatch them yourself. That is what I have been doing. I don't buy from a hatchery............poor quality..............poor dispositions..............etc.

Boy some of the treads on this board if I talked like that they wanted my scalp when you stated the above comment . I was on one tread a few days ago that was pro you no what and anti Standard Breed birds.I had to get off of it I was getting sick. When you are ready you need to show to compair your birds to others. The most important thing to learn in showing is being a good conditioner. You can beat people that may have better birds than you but you will beat them on finish.

I am glad you are showing up in Maine. I helped a family up there about 20 years ago and their two boys won big on Rhode island reds. One night the mother was talking to me on the phone and she asked me what she could do to help her two boy prepair their birds for the fall shows and make them better. I told her a old trick I use to do and give my Reds grass hoppers five a day. It put a finish on them and their feathers where like glass. The younger boy was on the second phone and heard me. He started giving his two males grass hoppers and then after the winter show season was over the mother asked the younger boy how he got his birds to shine so good and beat his brother. He said he had listened on the phone one night when you where talking to Bob and I took his secret and used it. You did not tell your brother Heck No he said I wanted to win the trophy's. Great family and often wonder if the boys will get back into chickens some day. Glad you are showing in Maine is a great state for chickens. bob
 
Looks like 5,000 people have back yard chickens and only five or so shows there birds. That is what I was talking about. What would happen if the hatcheries could not ship live chicks because the post office goes out of business or looses thier gig with Fed Ex shipping live birds. How or where would all these people get thier chickens. Something to think about. It almost happen a few years ago. If it was not for Fed Ex we would not be able to ship live birds or bees or chicks. bob
 
I've never even been to a poultry show. But this is the year I think.

I don't know where any are, no idea what I need to do, who to see or how to "show" our birds. But as I finally have some decent stock, I figure the only real way I'll ever know how good they are is to enter them in some shows, listen to the judges and other people showing the same breeds and try and learn. I'm a very visual person. I would learn better if I had someone to point out in person "Your bird has a poor back, here is a bird that has the correct back" or something like that. Then I could see for myself the differences. I don't expect to win any shows or even place the first few years, but I do expect to learn a lot and get a better understanding of how to improve my stock.

With that being said, I don't have a lot of money. I have no idea how much it will cost to show, but it's easy enough to see several hundred dollars with gas, motel and such. I've heard of a couple of shows in Alabama... maybe I'll start there.
 

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